On a crisp, sunny morning in Washington, D.C., scores of locals and tourists alike laced up their sneakers, strapped on their cameras and braved commuter traffic to wind their way toward the blossoms.
The nation's capital boasts approximately 3,800 cherry trees near the National Mall, a century-old gift of friendship from the people of Japan. They are primarily concentrated around the Tidal Basin, a man-made reservoir bordered by the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial.
And, for a precious few days each spring, they frame the duck-filled waters and nearby monuments in a fluffy canopy of pink.
The National Park Service (NPS) defines peak bloom as the period when 70% of the Yoshino Cherry blossoms are open, typically in late March or early April. The city eagerly anticipates — and celebrates — the season with a monthlong National Cherry Blossom Festival, and local businesses and even public transit roll out their best blossom deals and decor.
But even on this Wednesday morning — with temperatures in the high 40s and predicted peak bloom still two days away — the Tidal Basin was full of both blossoms and visitors.
The scene was a mix of special occasions and everyday moments: people in dresses posing for photoshoots, tour groups milling about the monuments, families pushing strollers, couples chatting on a bench, lone joggers weaving through the crowds. All were admiring the blossoms.
"After the hard winter, it's just such a pleasure to be out and see them," said D.C. resident Martin Mühleisen as he paused on a walk with his poodle, Dobby.
Pom Phorntavewata, who lives in Maryland, was excited to show the scene to her husband and 5-month-old daughter — tucked into a pink-flowered blanket in her stroller — for the first time. He's from New York, but she grew up in the D.C. area and has fond memories of cherry blossom season.
"It's amazing because I used to come here with my dad; we used to bike around the whole monuments, everywhere. It was a really good experience," she said. "I lost my dad a few years ago, so it's nice to relive that moment."
For many locals, enjoying the blossoms is an annual tradition.
That's the case for Hannah Moore and Lawrence MacDonald, who live in nearby Arlington, Va. The couple, who have been married for almost 40 years, woke up before sunrise, took their coffee to-go and brought tangerines and hard-boiled eggs to enjoy on a bench near the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
"The trees are just gorgeous … and remind us why we love this city," Moore said.
The pair was particularly interested in seeing the ongoing construction to repair the seawall of the Tidal Basin, a project that NPS aims to complete in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, in 2026. The work, which began last year, saw the removal of some 150 cherry trees — including the much-adored gnarled tree lovingly called "Stumpy."
"I think that we feel in D.C. that we're sort of in the heart of much of what the National Park Service has to manage," Moore said, adding she was pleased to see the project has continued despite the Trump administration's cuts to federal agencies. "We can see where Stumpy was … and the new wall is being rebuilt, and we're pretty excited that maybe next year we'll be able to walk all the way around [the repaired Tidal Basin path]."
Until then, there's still plenty of space for people to walk around and snap photos, whether that means pulling over in front of a low-hanging branch for a quick selfie or setting up shop for a full-blown photoshoot.
NPR saw many people doing just that, including a student donning her cap and gown for an early graduation photo session.
"I thought it might be really meaningful to take it with the [Washington] monument and everything, and the view is perfect," said Johns Hopkins University graduate student Renfei Liu, who is from Beijing.
Farther down the path, a girl wearing a crown and a sparkling pink dress arranged her voluminous skirt around her as she sat on a row of steps, posing for a camera as her family members — also dressed to the nines — stood nearby.
Later, as the photographer packed up, Gabriella Cardenas, 14, of Maryland, explained to NPR that they were taking photos to be displayed at her quinceañera in May. There will be cherry blossom décor at the party, her mom Patty Cardenas said.
But the teenager said that only after she fell in love with the dress did she realize it perfectly matched the cherry blossoms, and she decided to take the photos there. It made for a convenient — and breathtaking — backdrop, which many passersby stopped to admire.
"It kind of was a very big confidence boost, because instead of people more so looking and judging, I felt a sort of appreciation towards the culture from a lot of people," Cardenas said.
Cherry blossoms are also a big draw for visitors, with the Environmental Protection Agency estimating that some 1.5 million people come to D.C. during the festival each year.
Penny Burpeau, who traveled from Londonderry, N.H., described seeing the trees as a bucket list item. She decided to check it off her list this year while her son is in graduate school in Virginia.
"I love it. I absolutely love it," she said. "I love the atmosphere, just walking around and everybody's taking photos and just enjoying nature."
Nearby, the Tidal Basin was teeming with large groups of students, many wearing bright matching T-shirts and oversized lanyards.
One was a 55-person group from Iowa, consisting of kids in 8th to 11th grade — and their adult chaperones — who belong to chapters of 4-H, the youth development organization. They spent 16 months preparing for this trip, including doing presentations and meeting with local lawmakers, says Michele Kelly, the county youth coordinator in Fayette County.
She's led their D.C. trips for about a decade and says, "Every time we come, it's a little bit different." This year, she's been worried about encountering protesters on the National Mall and was relieved to have avoided a demonstration by postal workers by a few hours the day before.
The Tidal Basin is pretty close to the White House and the Capitol building. But its peaceful, pink-flowered branches and calm water can feel far removed from the chaos of the political news cycle.
"Things come and go; cherry blossoms stay," says Mühleisen, the poodle owner. "It's the same every year, it's beautiful."
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